Here are the latest developments in the coronavirus crisis:
England To Scrap Curbs
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to announce an end to all pandemic legal curbs in England, insisting it is time to "live with COVID", despite criticism.
Vaccine Pass For Hong Kong
Hong Kong will launch a vaccine pass scheme this week, officials say, as hospitals struggle under an Omicron-fuelled outbreak and the finance hub sees record-high departures.
New Zealand Protests
New Zealand police accuse anti-vaccine demonstrators of throwing human waste at them, during a pre-dawn operation to place roadblocks around a protest camp outside Wellington's parliament building.
Eurozone Growth Jumps
Economic growth in the eurozone jumps to a five-month high in February as coronavirus restrictions are eased, IHS Markit says.
Germany To Enter Recession
The Bundesbank says the latest wave of the coronavirus pandemic risks pushing the German economy into a technical recession before a recovery from the second quarter.
Police Retake Canadian Capital
A massive police operation brings calm back to Canada's capital Ottawa, which had been paralysed for almost a month by trucker-led protests against COVID-19 health rules.
Queen Elizabeth Infected
Queen Elizabeth II tests positive for coronavirus but is experiencing "mild" symptoms, according to her aides. The 95-year-old – Britain's longest-serving monarch – met her son Prince Charles earlier this month shortly before he tested positive.
Djokovic Is Back
Novak Djokovic's season, derailed in January when the world number one was deported from Australia before the Open, finally starts in Dubai.
France Continues COVID Roadmap
France will stick to its timetable of lifting restrictions in mid-March despite case numbers falling because there are still too many COVID patients in hospital, Health Minister Olivier Veran says.
Israel To Welcome Unvaccinated Tourists
Israel will allow unjabbed tourists to enter the country for the first time since the pandemic began as infections and deaths caused by the coronavirus decline, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett announces.
More Than 5.8 Million Dead
The coronavirus has killed at least 5,884,689 people since the outbreak emerged in China in December 2019, according to an AFP tally compiled from official sources on Monday.
The United States has recorded the most COVID deaths with 935,335, followed by Brazil with 644,286 and India with 512,109.
Taking into account excess mortality linked to COVID-19, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates the true death toll could be two to three times higher.